FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL; Rutgers and Kentucky Hope to Revive Programs

By WILLIAM C. RHODEN

Published: September 8, 1990

The task for Bill Curry of Kentucky is to revive a program that is celebrating its 100th year of football but has had little to celebrate.

The Wildcats' last winning season in the Southeastern Conference was in 1977, when they went 6-0. Last season was Kentucky's first winning season over all since 1984, when they went 9-3, but finished 3-3 in the S.E.C.

So, while Rutgers attempts to become attractive enough to be invited into a high-powered conference, Kentuckey strives to become strong enough to survive in a conference that, by 1995, could become the strongest in the nation.

Narrow Victory

Last week in its first game of the season, Kentucky escaped with a 20-17 victory at home against Central Michigan. Despite that close call, Curry thinks that with a commitment from the administration for new facilities and enthusiastic fan support, 1990 will be the beginning of a Kentucky resurgence.

''Once we run on the field and feel that support wash down over us,'' he said, ''at some point, you've got to bust somebody in the mouth. That's when football starts.''

While Rutgers and Kentucky battle to establish themselves, Miami, the defending national champion, and Brigham Young will meet this evening in Provo, Utah, in a game that has some of the atmosphere of a bowl game. The top-ranked Hurricanes, with their reputation for bruising defense, will attempt to cool off Ty Detmer, B.Y.U.'s junior quarterback, whom some regard as the best signal- caller in the country.

Asked about Detmer, the Miami defenders didn't seem impressed by the numbers. Darrell Williams, a Hurricane free safety, said that Detmer was ''a long way from great.'' A defensive tackle, Russell Maryland, said the Hurricanes planned to rattle Detmer to ''see if he's worthy of being as Heisman Trophy candidate.''

The last time Detmer faced Miami was in 1988. He passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns, but Miami prevailed, 41-17.

Virginia-Clemson Showdown

While the B.Y.U.-Miami game has the luster, the most significant game of the weekend is probably taking place in Charlottesville, Va., where 14th-ranked Virginia is playing Clemson in a battle between the two best teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Virginia, coming off its most successful season in 101 years, routed Kansas last week, 59-10. But the statistic that looms larger than that score is Clemson's winning streak against the Cavaliers. Clemson's 29-0 record against Virginia is the longest string of domination in Division I-A. And while Virginia fans have predicted that the streak will end today, Clemson players are confident that it won't.

''Everybody's sick and tired of hearing what Virginia says they're going to do to us,'' the Clemson quarterback, DeChane Cameron, said earlier this week. ''We just want to play the game and show Virginia that nothing's going to change, that it's going to keep being that way as long as Clemson's playing Virginia.''

In another noteworthy opener, Oklahoma plays U.C.L.A. in California. Because the televison portion of the Sooners' N.C.A.A. probation has been lifted, Oklahoma fans will be able to watch their team on television for the first time since 1988.